Devices for giving an alarm upon bed wetting



Dec. 6, 1955 W. F. KRQENING ET AL DEVICES FOR GIVING AN ALARM UPON BED WETTING Filed Jan. 30, 1951 United States Patent'O DEVICES FOR GIVING AN ALARM UPGN BED WETTENG Walter F. Kroening, Forest Park, and Ferdinand C. Irrgang, River Forest, 111., assignors to Health Guardian Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of iliineis Application January 30, 1951, Serial No. 208,625

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-61115) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devices for giving an alarm upon bed wetting.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be utilized in connection with adult beds or infants cribs for the purpose of sounding an alarm upon the wetting of the bed.

Ancillary to this object is the provision of a device for the above purpose which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture, the latter by reason of the fact that the device comprises relatively few parts.

Yet a further and equally important object of the invention is to provide in a device here described two confronting relatively fiat thin conductive parts spaced apart by a sheet of cloth such as a bed sheet or the like, with one of the parts having substantially its entire area perforated whereby moisture may pass through the plate at any point within its area to the plate therebelow to complete an electric circuit to an alarm or other signal device.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings the preferred form of construction and in which: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bed showing my invention associated therewith; and

Fig. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a suggested circuit employed in the invention.

The many advantages of my invention will become more apparent from the following description. In this connection my invention comprises two elongated rela tively flat and thin plates and 11. Preferably these plates are each formed of cardboard material with their opposite surfaces covered with a relatively thin metallic coating 12. The upper plate 10 has its entire area perforated as at 13. To each of these plates are detachably connected, by suitable clips 14, conductor wires comprising an electric circuit in which there is a power source 16, an alarm in the form of an electric bell or buzzer, and a switch 18. The power source 16 is of a relative low voltage and may be ordinary flash light batteries arranged in a suitable case 19, within which case 19 is also housed in any suitable manner the buzzer 17. This case 19 may be arranged in close relationship to the bed 20 to be reached by the patient or the attendant in charge of the patient.

2,726,294 Patented Dec. 6, 1955 In use the plate 10 has arranged thereover a bed sheet 21. This plate 10 is arranged in registration with the plate 11 and is separated therefrom by a bed sheet 22. The plate 11 rests upon the mattress 23. V

In the event of bed wetting at any point within the area of the plate 10, the moisture will soak through the bed sheet 22, creating a short circuit between the plates 10 and 11, thereby to energize the buzzer 17, it being pointed out that the device when in use will have the switch 18 closed.

The plates may be made of any desired size to fit beds of different widths and the device may be used in con nection with infant cribs as well as adult beds. By perforating the plate 10 the duration of time to short circuit the plates 10 and 11 upon bed wetting is materially reduced.

Our invention will be especially effective in nurseries and hospitals, the advantage being appreciated in the attendant knowing the bed wetting has occurred.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a device for giving an alarm upon bed wetting wherein an electric circuit comprising a source of electric current and an electrically actuated audible signal is employed, the combination with said electric circuit of a pair of relatively flexible flat plates of greater width and length than thickness, said plates being adapted to be arranged in superimposed position with respect to each other and separated by a non-conductive absorbent sheet material, said superimposed plates and separating nonconductive material being adapted to be disposed upon a bed and being of an'area sufficient to cover a substantial portion of the bed, each of said plates being constructed of flexible cardboard material and each having its outer surfaces covered with a conductive metallic layer, the

conductive surface of each of said plates being respectively connected to opposite sides of said electric circuit, the uppermost of said plates having its entire area perforated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 336,773 Weil Feb. 23, 1886 1,772,232 Van Guilder Aug. 4, 1930 1,926,987 Durham et a1. Sept. 12, 1933 2,127,538 Seiger Aug. 23, 1938 2,152,342 Bezzenberger Mar. 28, 1939 2,316,505 De Bry Apr. 13, 1943 2,644,050 Seiger June 30, 1953 2,668,202 Kaplan Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 673,239 France Ian. 13, 1930 

